Holy cow, I just looked back at my last post and saw how long it was! Thanks for those who stuck with it and here's the link for those who never got there in the first place. Do you imagine I can be more succinct with this post? Fat chance!
A party we were invited to last week was held outdoors at Harry and Julie's home and when I think back, it was like a movie set, or what you might imagine a party in the mountains would be like. Lights strung from tree to tree with flowers from their gardens gracing the tables as centerpieces.
People found places to sit under the shade of the ancient trees.
In the meadow below was a very large garden in full summer swing with the corn standing tall, the tomato vines on their trellises, as well as a variety of other home grown goodness.
Perhaps you will remember when Bruce and John worked on a ramp for Nancy, Julie's mom, when the days were very cold and snow was on the ground. A reminder of that time is in this post, as are loads of snow pictures. Julie's father, Eddie was the guest of honor celebrating a late 80's birthday with one of his favorite dishes, hot dogs, West Virginia style. He's pictured below in a neat white t-shirt.
Jamie, Julie's twin sister is helping Nancy. It was a joyous occasion made even more special in the beautiful setting. Someone pointed out a deer in the pasture below so I, of course, had to go investigate. I was quite a ways away to begin with and here's what I saw.
Slowly moving forward, I kept taking more photos until my zoom revealed what I could not see with my own eyes, something I will address momentarily. Anyway, a nursing fawn is a first for me.
Wow, what a sight!! Speaking of night lights, have I told you that we are seeing fireflies? Not a lot, no nothing like what we saw in Brevard, but enough to keep me happy.
As to my eyesight comment. My new glasses from WalMart were a failure ,so last Wednesday we made the trip to the nearest Costco in an Atlanta suburb. To say that we were frustrated with the policy of no- guarantee on the glasses unless you buy a warranty, something we have never done before, or needed for that matter. The anti-glare coating on the inside was a mottled mess, rendering them almost useless. Thus I am wearing my old glasses for now. The moral of the story is don't buy glasses at WM! I will say it was ironic when I mentioned this to the woman who was assisting me at Costco that she said that is where she used to work. Apparently this no-guarantee business is relatively new.
Back to more pleasant subjects!
Like my solitary purple hydrangea. Yup, on a big bush there is but one of these beauties compared to the 50 or more blooms on the blue one.
They are nearly spent, although there are still tons of blooms on the plant, they just are not in their prime. What is in prime season are hostas,
and beautiful Rose of Sharon as seen through my kitchen window.
There are two trees and one bush in our yard, all filled with beautiful blooms that are great hummingbird attracters. That said, hummingbird sightings have been few and far between for this enthusiast. See if you can spot one below.
I was sitting on the front porch in the early morning when I saw them way across the yard flitting from bloom to bloom so rapidly that it is hard to get a shot. At the same time, I kept seeing some Mourning Doves going into the Japanese Maple tree. Hmmmm....must be a nest in there.
Bill and Roxanne surprised us with a quick visit, meeting us at the courts, followed by a short time at our home before we went out to lunch. They were on their way to Fontana Village for a BMW road rally.
Well, Roxanne got a phone call and took it on the front porch, roaming to and fro while talking to their son. When she joined us she said that there were two cute birds that kept hopping around, which sounded fun, but it happens from time to time. However, the same day that I saw the dove action, I saw some small birds heading in and out of a large hanging fern. How large you wonder?
While it may not look like it, that beauty is 36" across and I know this how? When I took it down from the hanger I thought how giant it was, so I measured it. This photo is by no means good, but it does show you what a Song Sparrow looks like. Now both you and Roxanne know!
The conundrum is how to water the fern now
Bruce built this contraption to get my cucumbers off of the ground.
They are tiny now, but won't be long, or so says Gail who knows nothing about growing cucumbers!
Foraging, let's get to foraging for mushrooms! Indeed, when Robin called with the invitation to go mushroom foraging with a man she knows I was intrigued. When she said we were to leave at 7AM Saturday morning I hesitated briefly, but ultimately thought, why not?
Robin is also a transplant, but unlike us, she and Mike moved here four years ago from a city just outside of New Orleans. In other words, she is now a pro behind the wheel and she showed it, even when it was nearly too foggy to see. Actually we were in the clouds!
Seated in the back seat behind Richard, our mushroom guru, I took photos as we moved because I had never before been in this part of the state but miles from the Tennessee border.
On closer inspection not only do they have eggs but they also cut hair. The countryside was beautiful with farms here and there,
a cemetery,
and old tiny churches.
In other words, we were not in tourist North Carolina, but deep in the mountains where few outside folks venture. Joe Brown Highway winds it's way to Tennessee.
For the curious there is a map included in this link. All the while Richard told us tales of his 20+ years in Murphy, having moved to the mountains from the coast of North Carolina. Eventually, as we were driving along Shuler Creek, he had Robin pull off to the side of the road and said, let's look in here.
Chanterelles were the prize and there were a bounty of them way into the forest. Robin is standing beside a patch on the ground.
Their bright pumpkin orange color is hard to miss in a sea of green.
As is common I walked with mild trepidation but these wonderful ladies that I am meeting are so good and hang onto me when I am leery! Not that it was very steep this time, but it was wet because rain has become our everyday companion. It proved to be an excellent day for foraging and this basket was but one of our collection.
Speaking of rain, that same night David was hosting a birthday party for Randy that was to begin at their newly broken ground house site. Afraid of rain, we met at their A-frame. Randy is the one standing head and shoulders over the rest of us!
Probably twenty or so minutes after taking this photo, the crowd moved indoors due to imminent rain which delivered in spades. A bonus gift was the loss of power! Winding roads and waning light sent us home via Linda who graciously drove us. I have been such the passenger lately! What a gift.
Days from now our dear son Matthew will be celebrating another birthday far from his birthplace. He was born in Orlando on July 5.1976, a bicentennial baby with a certificate to prove it. If all goes according to plan, we will see him at Christmas in Florida. Something about living with seasons just ignites the urge to celebrate them with wreaths. Now that my friends, is not a sentence you have ever read in Camera Crazy before and probably never have, period. Yet, it is true. I pulled out the old fabric scrap idea for a 4th of July wreath adorned with one of the Christmas bows Dottie made.
Decades have passed since last I did this sort of thing, but it was still a tiny memory fueled by Youtube so now, once again, I know how to stick fabric into a straw wreath from the thrift store!
I did my best, but once again, I may have carried on for too long. Please do forgive me, will you?
your friend,
Gail
